NEWS

Borough President James Oddo will host the opening reception for “Quilts: The History of Sandy Ground told on Handmade Coverlets” on Monday, June 29th at 12pm at Borough Hall. The display is on loan from the Sandy Ground Historical Society Museum. Each of the four quilts represents a different aspect of Sandy Ground’s history. The quilts were made by several groups of Sandy Ground volunteers. The show will be on display through the summer and is open to the public.Settled in Rossville in 1833, Sandy Ground is the oldest continuously inhabited free black settlement in the United States. The Sandy Ground Historical Society runs a library and a museum on the site. The museum is home to Staten Island’s largest documentary collection of African-American culture and history.“We are thrilled to display these quilters’ hard work in Borough Hall and highlight a unique part of Staten Island’s history,” said Borough President Oddo. “We hope this exhibit will encourage more tourists, as well as residents who haven’t visited yet, to take a trip to the museum.”“I’m particularly pleased about this exhibit because it expands our history to a group of people that we may not normally reach,” said Sylvia D’Alessandro, Executive Director of Sandy Ground Historical Society. “I want to thank the Borough President for taking the initiative and helping tell the story of Sandy Ground to tourists from all over the world.”